1.Take a brown or white paper lunch bag and open it up2. Stuff it with a bit of paper about 1/2 the way up the bag3. Gather the bag just above the stuffing & twist4. Keep twisting until you've created a stem5. Paint with orange acrylic paint & let dry6. Add a face to create a Jack O' Lantern7. Let dry8. Make another! They look great displayed together.

String of Ghosts:Materials:Coffee FiltersTissueFishing Line or Clear threadBlack Pen (optional)

1. Flatten out the coffee filter2. Ball up a piece of tissue and place in the center3. Gather up the middle of the coffee filter and twist to create the ghosts head4. Add eyes with the black pen4. Tie the ghosts onto fishing line to create a string of ghosts that appear to be floating

The ghosts look great in a window or strung in a door way or from a chandelier.

Yes, I'm going to milk this Fall thing for all it's worth. It's my favorite season, so I'm always a bit obsessed with it when it arrives. So bear with me through a couple more "Fall" posts. This one is a bit of a reminder to myself. I'm always looking for that close-up macro shot and sometimes I miss the bigger picture. So this was a study in noticing the big picture that is Fall. Enjoy!

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Starting to get in the Halloween Spirit! This is a little gargoyle my son got out of a gumball machine. I did my best to make him look spooky. He is inspiring me to get several Halloween projects and tutorials done so that I can share them with you! I hope he inspires you to let a bit of your dark side come out in your art today!

Thursday, October 15, 2009

If you ever make anything inspired by one of my photos, don't forget to send me a photo or link, and I'll share it on the blog!

Don't forget to become a Facebook Fan! Get the inside scoop on new items, sales shows etc that I don't have time to blog about! Just click on the widget on my sidebar. ---------------------------------------------------------->

Friday, October 9, 2009

While going through the pictures from last week's field trip to Annapolis, I found that I had taken several photographs of the surfaces I walked on. Their textures and patterns drew my eye throughout the day. Annapolis is a historical town so there was lots of interesting brick and stone. Here's what inspired me when I looked down:

Lots and lots of of brick walkways:

A Carpet in the Maryland State House - The oldest legislative building still in use.

A grate at the Naval Academy which featured a tony acorn in a hole:

And finally the long wooden planks of the dock:

I'm glad I took the time to look down a few times throughout the day. There were tons of other sights to see (which I will post soon), but something as simple as what I walked on stirred up all kinds of ideas. Take some time this weekend to look down at all of the different surfaces you walk on and may be they'll bring you inspiration too! Just be careful to look up sometimes too. I'd hate for you to walk into something and get injured while you were looking down at my suggestion! Have a great weekend!

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Monday, October 5, 2009

Each Monday I'll post a mosaic from my Daily Inspiration Flickr Group showcasing some of the wonderfully inspiring photos added to the groups from the past week. Hopefully it will jump start your week with some great ideas for creating.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Hi all! Sorry I've been MIA, but I've been getting ready for the Crafty Bastards show this weekend and it has taken up all my time that isn't already devoted to my family and filling orders. Please come by on Saturday and check me out! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn't rain! Even if you can't be there, you can still support me with your vote for Craftiest Bastard! You can vote here or by clicking the button on my sidebar!

While you're in the voting mood, you can also vote for BEST's blog for best Art/DIY Blog in Baltimore's Mobbies. We're currently in first place, but we'd like to stay there. You can vote here daily.

I started a new Flickr group, Daily Art Inspiration, for a daily dose of inspiration. I hope it will be a wonderful resource for when you're feeling stuck, and I like the idea of artists helping other artists! It's an open group, so feel free to join in the fun and inspiration! I'm planning to make a mosaic from the group each Monday as an inspirational pick me up to start the week. Here's yesterday's inspiration photo:

Here's today's:

Block Party Prints is doing really well in it''s first 2 weeks. There have been 2 Etsy front page appearances and even an inclusion in a Storque article. I had my first sale on my one week anniversary, and just hit double digits with my 10th sale today! I have a lot more prints to add and will be adding some smaller 5x7's, so check back next week. Here's my most recent print, Candy Cane Rain:

I'm hoping to get back in the blogging groove next week! Have a great weekend!